"henry and eliza" reading text

8/11/2019 "Henry and Eliza" Reading Text

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Henry and Eliza1

a novel.

Is humbly dedicated to Miss Cooper2

by her obedient Humble Servant

The Author3

As Sir George and Lady Harcourt were superintending the Labours of their

Haymakers4, rewarding the industry of some by smiles of approbation, and punishing the

idleness of others, by a cudgel, they perceived lying closely concealed beneath the thickfoliage of a Haycock

5, a beautiful little Girl not more than 3 months old.

Touched with the enchanting Graces of her face and delighted with the infantine

tho sprightly answers she returned to their many questions, they resolved to take her

home and, having no Children of their own, to educate her with care and cost.Being good People themselves, their first and principal care was to incite in her a

Love of Virtue and a Hatred of Vice, in which they so well succeeded (Eliza having a

natural turn that way herself) that when she grew up, she was the delight of all who knewher.

Beloved by Lady Harcourt, adored by Sir George and admired by all the world,

she lived in a continued course of uninterrupted Happiness, till she had attained hereighteenth year, when happening one day to be detected in stealing a banknote of 50,

she was turned out of doors by her inhuman Benefactors6. Such a transition to one who

did not possess so noble and exalted a mind as Eliza, would have been Death, but she,

happy in the conscious knowledge of her own Excellence, amused herself, as she satebeneath a tree with making and singing the following Lines.

Song.

Though misfortunes my footsteps may ever attend

I hope I shall never have need of a Friend

As an innocent Heart I will ever preserveAnd will never from Virtues dear boundaries swerve.

Having amused herself some hours, with this song and her own pleasingreflections, she arose and took the road to M.

7a small market town of which place her

most intimate friend kept the red Lion.

To this friend she immediately went, to whom having recounted her late

misfortune, she communicated her wish of getting into some family in the capacity of

Humble Companion8

.Mrs. Wilson, who was the most amiable creature on earth, was no sooner

acquainted with her Desire, than she sate down in the Bar and wrote the following Letter

to the Duchess of F., the woman whom of all others, she most Esteemed.

To the Duchess of F.


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Receive into your Family, at my request, a young woman of unexceptionable Character,who is so good as to choose your Society in preference of going to Service. Hasten, and

take her from the arms of your

Sarah Wilson.

The Duchess, whose friendship from Mrs. Wilson would have carried her any

lengths, was overjoyed at such an opportunity of obliging her and accordingly sate outimmediately on the receipt of her letter for the red Lion, which she reached the same

Evening. The Duchess of F. was about 45 and a half; Her passions were strong, her

friendships firm and her Enmities, unconquerable. She was a widow and had only one

Daughter who was on the point of marriage with a young Man of considerable fortune.The Duchess no sooner beheld our Heroine than throwing her arms around her

neck, she declared herself so much pleased with her, that she was resolved they never

more should part. Eliza was delighted with such a protestation of friendship, and after

taking a most affecting leave of her dear Mrs. Wilson, accompanied her grace the nextmorning to her seat in Surrey

9.

With every expression of regard did the Duchess introduce her to the Lady

Harriet, who was so much pleased with her appearance that she besought her, to considerher as her Sister, which Eliza with the greatest Condescension promised to do.

Mr. Cecil, the Lover of Lady Harriet, being often with the family was often with

Eliza. A mutual Love took place and Cecil having declared his first, prevailed on Eliza toconsent to a private union, which was easy to be effected, as the duchess chaplain being

very much in love with Eliza himself, would they were certain do anything to oblige her.

The Duchess and Lady Harriet being engaged one evening to an assembly, they

took the opportunity of their absence and were united by the enamoured Chaplain.When the Ladies returned, their amazement was great at finding instead of Eliza,

the following Note.

Madam

We are married and gone.

Henry and Eliza Cecil.

Her Grace, as soon as she had read the letter, which sufficiently explained thewhole affair, flew into the most violent passion and after having spent an agreeable half

hour, in calling them by all the shocking Names her rage could suggest to her, sent out

after them 300 armed Men, with orders not to return without their Bodies, dead or alive;

intending that if they should be brought to her in the latter condition to have them put to

Death in some torturelike manner, after a few years Confinement.In the mean time, Cecil and Eliza continued their flight to the Continent

10, which

they judged to be more secure than their native Land, from the dreadful effects of the

Duchess vengeance, which they had so much reason to apprehend.In France they remained 3 years, during which time they became the parents of

two Boys, and at the end of it Eliza became a widow without anything to support either

her or her Children. They had lived since their Marriage at the rate of 18,000 a year, ofwhich Mr. Cecils estate being rather less than the twentieth part, they had been able to

save but a trifle, having lived to the utmost extent of their Income.


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Eliza, being perfectly conscious of the derangement in their affairs, immediatelyon her Husbands death set sail for England, in a man of War of 55 Guns

11, which they

had built in their more prosperous Days. But no sooner had she stepped on Shore at

Dover12

, with a Child in each hand, than she was seized by the officers of the Duchess,

and conducted by them to a snug little Newgate13

of their Ladys, which she had erectedfor the reception of her own private Prisoners.

No sooner had Eliza entered her Dungeon than the first thought which occurred to

her, was how to get out of it again.She went to the Door, but it was locked. She looked at the Window, but it was

barred with iron; disappointed in both her expectations, she despaired of effecting her

Escape, when she fortunately perceived in a Corner of her Cell, a small saw and a Ladder

of ropes. With the saw, she instantly went to work and in a few weeks had displacedevery Bar but one to which she fastened the Ladder.

A difficulty then occurred which for sometime, she knew not how to obviate. Her

Children were too small to get down the Ladder by themselves. Nor would it be possible

for her to take them in her arms, when shedid. At last she determined to fling down allher Clothes, of which she had a large Quantity, and then having given them strict Charge

not to hurt themselves, throw her Children after them. She herself with ease descended by

the Ladder, at the bottom of which she had the pleasure of finding Her little boys inperfect Health and fast asleep.

Her wardrobe, she now saw a fatal necessity of selling, both for the preservation

of her Children and herself. With tears in her eyes, she parted with these last reliques ofher former Glory, and with the money she got for them, bought others more useful, some

play things for her Boys and a gold Watch for herself14

.

But scarcely was she provided with the above-mentioned necessaries, than she

began to find herself rather hungry, and had reason to think, by biting off two of herfingers, that her Children were much in the same situation.

To remedy these unavoidable misfortunes, she determined to return to her old

friends, Sir George and Lady Harcourt, whose generosity she had so often experienced

and hoped to experience as often again.She had about 40 miles to travel before she could reach their hospitable Mansion,

of which having walked 30 without stopping, she found herself at the Entrance of a

Town, where often in happier times, she had accompanied Sir George and Lady Harcourtto regale themselves with a cold collation

15at one of the Inns.

The reflections that her adventures since the last time she had partaken of these

happy Junkettings16

, afforded her, occupied her mind, for some time, as she sate on thesteps at the door of a Gentlemans house. As soon as these reflections were ended, she

arose and determined to take her station at the very inn, she remembered with so much

delight, from the Company of which, as they went in and out, she hoped to receive from

Charitable Gratuity17

.

She had but just taken her post at the Inn yard, before a Carriage drove out of it,and on turning the Corner at which she was stationed, stopped to give the Postilion

18an

opportunity of admiring the beauty of the prospect. Eliza then advanced to the carriage

and was going to request their Charity, when, on fixing her Eyes on the Lady within it,she exclaimed,

Lady Harcourt!

To which the lady replied,Eliza!

Yes, Madam, it is the wretched Eliza herself.


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Sir George, who was also in the Carriage, but too much amazed to speak, wasproceeding to demand an explanation from Eliza of the Situation she was then in, when

Lady Harcourt, in transports of Joy, exclaimed,

Sir George, Sir George, she is not only Eliza, our adopted Daughter, but our real

Child.Our real Child! What, Lady Harcourt, do you mean?

You know you never even was with child. Explain yourself, I beseech you.

You must remember, Sir George, that when you sailed forAmerica, you left mebreeding.

I do, I do, go on dear Polly.

Four months after you were gone, I was delivered of this Girl, but dreading your

just resentment at her not proving the Boy you wished, I took her to a Haycock and laidher down. A few weeks afterwards, you returned, and fortunately for me, made no

enquiries on the subject. Satisfied within myself of the welfare of my Child, I soon forgot

I had one, insomuch that when we shortly after found her in the very Haycock I had

placed her, I had no more idea of her being my own, than you had, and nothing I willventure to say would have recalled the circumstance to my remembrance, but my thus

accidentally hearing her voice, which now strikes me as being the very counterpart of my

own Childs.The rational and convincing Account you have given of the whole affair, said

Sir George, leaves no doubt of her being our Daughter and as such, I freely forgive the

robbery she was guilty of.A mutual Reconciliation then took place, and Eliza, ascending the Carriage with

her two Children, returned to that home from which she had been absent nearly four

years.

No sooner was she reinstated in her accustomed power at Harcourt Hall, than sheraised an Army, with which she entirely demolished the Duchess Newgate, snug as it

was, and by that act, gained the Blessings of thousands, and the Applause of her own

Heart.

Finis

"henry and eliza" reading text

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